With the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) nod, SMS hospital in Jaipur will start convalescent plasma therapy on COVID-19 patients from Monday, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said on Sunday.
He said the government will also start tele-medicines service from Monday so that people can get medical counselling and treatment sitting at home during lockdown.
"The ICMR has given permission to SMS hospital, Jaipur for plasma therapy which will start from tomorrow. We have donors ready and the therapy will be performed in a good manner in Rajasthan," Gehlot told reporters during a video conference.
Under the convalescent plasma therapy technique, plasma from people who have recovered from COVID-19 is transfused to patients who are in critical condition.
The Rajasthan chief minister said the state government has made all preparations for the treatment of critically ill COVID-19 patients. Also, doctors from SMS hospital are also participating in the research work going around the globe on plasma therapy, Gehlot said.
Gehlot informed the newspersons that COVID-19 testing capacity in the state has reached 10,000 samples per day and it would be enhanced further by the end of this month.
About the tele-medicines service, he said a web portal -- www.esanjeevaniopd.in -- will be launched and people can avail medical services for free from home. "Doctors and other staff have been trained for providing the service."
The government's decision to operate over 400 mobile OPD vans has bore fruit as these facilities have provided treatment to 1.60 lakh people across the state, the chief minister said.
Notices have been served to two private hospitals for denying treatment to patients, Gehlot informed the reporters and called upon the private healthcare facilities to come forward and serve people at this time of crisis.
Expressing concern over the economy and declining government revenues, the chief minister said the Rajasthan has suffered a loss of Rs 10,000 crore in March and April due to the lockdown. The state government will have to cut short its budgetary provisions due to the present economic situation and dip in revenue collection, he said.
Reiterating his demand of Central grants to all states and stimulus package to industries, Gehlot said the Government of India need to take these steps to restart the economy. He also demanded that the Centre to pay wages to MGNREGA labourers who are forced to sit at home due to lockdown.
"When the Government of India asks MSME and industries to give salaries to their workers who are sitting at home due to lockdown, then it is also the duty of the Centre to give wages to active registered labourers under MGNREGA, who are sitting at home," he said.
The chief minister accused the opposition BJP in Rajasthan of levelling baseless allegations and said that since the very beginning his government has been taking everyone along.
"We have been taking along, be it opposition, activists and all. The BJP leaders in the state are making statements without facts. I appeal to them to stop doing that. This is not the time," he said.
"The state government's initiatives are being appreciated by all across the country. We are sharing our credit with everyone, but the statements from them (BJP leaders) are provocative and it is not good," Gehlot said.
The chief minister said the Centre has allowed plying of special trains for ferrying stranded migrants and workers on the demand of Rajasthan government, but some states such as West Bengal, Bihar, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana are not ready to send or receive migrants.
He said that discussions were being held with the states concerned at the chief secretary-level so that the issue could be resolved. Gehlot also said that associations of migrants labourers and their leaders should put pressure on their respective state government over the matter.
"Nearly 15 lakh migrants have so far registered in Rajasthan and most of them, close to 70 per cent, are those who want to return to Rajasthan from other states. Making travel arrangements for these migrants is a big task and we are ready to arrange buses also," he said.
Gehlot claimed that the Rajasthan government is leading the country in taking initiatives to fight against coronavirus and all steps taken by it have been successful.
"We have already launched the Nirogi Rajasthan campaign and this helped us in the fight against coronavirus. We have strengthened our medical infrastructure and boosting it consistently so that we can be ready in face of any challenge," he said.
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